Novation Announces New Comprehensive NOVAFOOD™ Program
New food program will enhance patient satisfaction, a key driver of new reimbursement models

IRVING, Texas, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Novation, the leading health care supply chain expertise and contracting company for the members of VHA Inc., UHC, Children's Hospital Association, and Provista LLC, today announced a new and comprehensive food program, NOVAFOOD™ to provide hospitals and health systems with more options to better serve patients and their families.

Under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, 30 percent of the program's financial incentive is based upon how well hospitals score on patient satisfaction. Food quality is a driving factor in a patients' overall having a positive experience.

Novation's existing food program is already highly successful with more than 9,000 locations accessing the program. The new NOVAFOOD program will further enhance the existing program by offering a wide variety of flexible choices to maximize the profitability and efficiency of self-operated or outsourced food departments, including:

Expanded coverage and industry-leading savings – NOVAFOOD, delivers best financial value, expertise and choice to assist organizations with the enhancement of cash flow, increased satisfaction and improved outcomes. Novation is dedicated to making food easy by providing superior products and services with market-leading value. Novation can provide 100 percent coverage of an organizations food purchasing needs from food products and services to consulting, capital and continuing education opportunities.

NOVAFOOD Capital Equipment and Supplies – Members can access a selection of 10,000 food specific capital equipment and supplies as well as maintenance services and replacement parts. The capital equipment component of NOVAFOOD supports members during every phase of their equipment's life cycle, including research, purchasing, and operational and maintenance. Members can also access thousands of commercial food service equipment offerings from more than 15 manufacturers, for a variety of products such as refrigeration, storage and bakery equipment.

NOVAFOOD Consulting Services – The NOVAFOOD program links members with industry-leading subject matter experts, Don Miller & Associates (DM&A). Consultative services are customized to meet individual member needs and objectives and include comprehensive audits and assessments, room service planning and support, facility design and renovation, and culinary and leadership academy training.

"Expertise is a critical component to the NOVAFOOD program," said Amanda Hamilton, director of NOVAFOOD program, purchased services at Novation. "Food quality is one of the best predictors of overall patient satisfaction. And Novation's new food program is designed to meet each member's needs from planning through ongoing operations. In addition, we are very excited to extend offer our new food program to all member organizations enabling them to save as much as 25 percent off invoice pricing as well as diversified opportunities for value."

About Novation, Winner of the Ethics Inside® CertificationFounded in 1998, Novation is the leading health care supply chain expertise and contracting company for the more than 65,000 members of VHA Inc. and UHC, two national health care alliances, Children's Hospital Association, an alliance of the nation's leading pediatric facilities, and Provista, LLC. Novation provides alliance members with sourcing services, as well as information and data services. Based in Irving, Texas, Novation develops and manages competitive contracts with more than 600 suppliers. VHA, UHC, and Provista members used Novation contracts to purchase approximately $43 billion in 2012. Novation has earned the coveted Ethics Inside® Certification from Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance. Novation was also named on Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies list, and is the only company in the health care industry to earn both distinctions for two consecutive years. To learn more about Novation, please visit http://www.novationco.com and follow @NovationNews.